VOA常速英语2008年-EU Agrees On Climate Change Legislation

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
14 March 2008

European Union countries wrapped up a two-day summit in Brussels Friday agreeing to forge laws to meet climate change goals and create a new union that would group the European Union and Mediterranean¹ countries outside the bloc². Lisa Bryant in Paris has more on the meeting.

The 27 European Union leaders vowed³ to agree on legislation to implement⁴ goals to fight climate change, which include cutting greenhouse emissions⁵ by 20 percent from 1990 levels over the next 12 years. But the leaders at the Brussels summit also said they would seek climate-friendly options that would not sanction European industries.

Prime Minister Janez Jansa of Slovenia, whose country holds the rotating E.U. presidency⁶, told reporters the climate agreement offered the E.U. the opportunity to adopt technologies for the future. "The climate energy package will be a key document to do so, we discussed this package at this meeting as well. We talked about the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century for the union," she said.

The E.U. leaders also agreed to an amended⁷ version of a new Mediterranean union proposed last year by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Under the compromise, all the E.U. members would be involved in the union aimed to forge closer ties with North Africa, Arab and other non-European Mediterranean countries.

Still, not all members are happy about either agreement. Some E.U. members oppose a new agreement on a Mediterranean union, since one -- known as the Barcelona Process -- already exists. There is also disagreement over whether to offer special conditions to big energy users when it comes to climate change regulations.

Still Mr. Sarkozy, whose country takes over the E.U. presidency in July, said he hoped agreement on the climate change package would be reached by the second half of this year.

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

3 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

4 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

5 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

6 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

7 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。